SOC 301: Topics: Globalization, The Long View
1-3:50 Wed Asbury 117
DePauw University
Fall 2007 Professor Thomas Hall
 Office:  106 Asbury, x 4519, email:  thall@depauw.edu
WEB: http://fs6.depauw.edu:50080/~thall/hp1.htm
 OFFICE HOURS:  Tu & Th 1:15 - 3pm; W 4-5pm; & by appt
Last Updated Wednesday July 11, 2007
Welcome to Globalization

This a new course. Its catalog description will be something like this:
What does “globalization” mean, and what does it mean for societies and people facing the onslaught of global change? This course examines the phenomenon of globalization from a variety of theoretical perspectives, ranging from neo-liberal economics to cultural anthropology, but primarily from the perspective of historical political economy or social evolution. It analyzes the processes shape globalization and the effects of globalization on traditional cultures, community relationships, economic wealth and justice, and political institutions. To put these theoretical works in perspective, interspersed with them will be case studies of real people and real communities.

Globalization, The Long View
While I will cover the topics in the above description. The course is a sustained argument that globalization has been going on for millennia -- ever since states were invented some 5,000 years ago in Mesopotamia.  We will take a quick trip through world history to understand this point.  However, I ALSO ARGUE that globalization as conventionally discussed does have several new, and quite important "wrinkles" in the last few decades.  It is only by seeing earlier processes that we can come to understand what is truly new now, what is a variation on a theme, and what is a continuation of long-term trends.

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Send comments or questions to thall@depauw.edu